Spring and Summer Activities for Couples & Friends

There’s no better place than Boise during spring and summer months. The city comes alive with flowering trees, blooming foothills and events, activities and adventure around every corner. No doubt, your kids have been cooped up all season and are rBoise is the perfect place to stretch your legs and have an adventure in the spring and summer months. Keep reading for ideas for a pub crawl, hiking and mountain biking in the mountains, surfing (yes, surfing!) and shopping. Boise comes alive as the weather gets warmer, and so will you.

Garden City pub crawl

Garden City is the perfect place for a brewpub crawl. Most of the breweries use locally sourced ingredients and are within close proximity to each other. The area is one of the city’s most up-and-coming pub locales, with a new brewery popping up every couple months.

Bogus Basin

Bogus Basin is a year-round recreation destination. Along with riding a scenic chairlift, you can mountain bike, hike, climb a rock wall and ride horses all season long. Bogus has 23 well-marked, accessible trails. Not to mention a bungy jump and a disc golf course.

Winetasting Downtown and at nearby vineyards

As Boise continues to grow, so do its wineries. The city is home to many unique and flavorful local wines. Sip your way through Boise at tasting rooms throughout the downtown area.

Within minutes of downtown, Telaya, Coiled, Cinder and Split Rail are winning palates and awards with everything from robust merlots to refreshing riesling. 

Want to go farther afield? About 30 to 45 minutes from Boise, homegrown wineries like SCORIA, Fujishin, Huston and Sawtooth Estate Winery offer sweeping views of the rolling hills across the Snake River Valley and wines that have gained international acclaim. Winemaking in this region goes back generations. You can even book a tour with Snake River Wine Tours, Sunshine Wine Tours, Idaho Winery Seekers or Idaho Wine Tours. Learn more about wine tasting and wineries in Boise here

Float the Boise River

Every summer, locals and visitors alike look forward to floating the Boise River — it’s an easy six-mile trip and the perfect way to spend a summer day. Start at Barber Park and take out at Ann Morrison Park two or three hours later. You can rent tubes and rafts at Barber Park, and a shuttle service is available. Learn more about rafting in and around Boise here.

Surf at Boise Whitewater Park

Don’t miss this Boise attraction. Located between 34th and 36th streets, our whitewater park has one of the world’s first adjustable waves. It was made for kayakers but has become a favorite spot for river surfers. The man-made waveshaper can adjust the wave depending on water levels, and the park is open between March and October. If you’re more of a surfing spectator, the park is near cafes, restaurants and open-air bars. Watch the surfers and then grab a drink.

Paddleboard at Quinn’s Pond

This giant 22-acre pond has fishing docks, beach areas and sheltered picnic spots. It’s the perfect place to kayak, SUP (stand-up paddleboard) or canoe during a hot, summer day. It’s just north of the Boise River between Fairview Avenue and Veterans Parkway. You can rent kayaks, rafts and SUPs on site.

Shopping around town

Time for some retail therapy in the City of Trees. All these locations offer a first-class shopping experience.

Downtown
Downtown Boise has a vibrant shopping and dining scene. From Boise Centre, a large convention center in the heart of the city, you can stroll to more than 80 restaurants and 100 shops that include a mix of local stores and national retailers such as Mixed Greens, Prestige Skateshop, The Record Exchange, Olivin Olive Oil & Vinegar Taproom and even The North Face. Find more downtown shopping options here.

Boise Towne Square Mall
This mall is the largest retail complex in the state and has more than 150 stores. It’s open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Village at Meridian
Designed with European-style architecture, The Village is an upscale outdoor shopping mall that offers designer apparel, specialty retail, casual dining, outdoor concerts, a movie theater and an elaborate fountain with hourly shows. 

Boise Spectrum Center
Boise Spectrum Center is a great entertainment, shopping and dining destination in the Treasure Valley. Here, visitors can experience local flavors at the CHOW Public Market & Eatery, catch a movie at Edward’s Boise Stadium 21 & IMAX theater or dine at one of the Spectrum Center’s many delicious restaurant options.